Dan Hooker explains why Sean Strickland's weaknesses on the feet make "puppet master" Israel Adesanya a nightmare matchup
The Mac Life recently caught up with Dan 'The Hangman' Hooker and asked him his thoughts on the upcoming middleweight title fight between Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland.
Hooker, who is a teammate and friend of Adesanya, said:
"He (Strickland) just doesn't have the skill set, like, It's a bad stylistic matchup, it's a guy who overreacts and bites on everything. He's a guy who overreacts to like, everything. Against a guy who is, drawing reactions out, Israel is the guy who's the best at getting any guy to do what he wants them to do, the best puppet master...that's the true secret to his power. It's the puppet master versus the ultimate puppet."
Check out the clip here (6:01 for Hooker's comments on Adesanya vs. Strickland):
Hooker appears to hold the same opinion of the Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland matchup that most fans do. Strickland is known for his forward pressure and direct approach, while Adesanya is arguably the best at laying traps in MMA.
Moreover, Strickland previously faced Pereira, who is the only striker comparable to Adesanya in the middleweight division, and was knocked out in the very first round.
While Strickland has a great record of 27-5 and a wealth of experience, it appears that he is outgunned in terms of skill and finesse in the matchup against Adesanya.
Israel Adesanya predicts KO victory over Strickland, says the American is "outgunned" and "outmanned"
Israel Adesanya is the overwhelming favorite heading into his UFC 293 main event against Sean Strickland. Speaking at the pre-fight press conference, Adesanya predicted a knockout victory.
In a heated back-and-forth with Strickland, Adesanya said:
"Sunday, I'm gonna knock this motherf**ker out, that's all I give a f**k about. I will do it for China and I will knock you the f**k out."
After that, 'The Last Stylebender' took to X (formerly Twitter) and shared a popular GIF, alongside the caption:
"Outgunned and outmanned"
Most fans expect Adesanya to win comfortably against Strickland. That being said, Strickland, who took the bout on short notice and hasn't had a full training camp, has nothing to lose, and is sure to bring the heat to the reigning middleweight champion.